Incoming text messages intercepted by the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Summerville Police Department caused the arrest of 23 people this week. Cellphones confiscated during a traffic stop last Wednesday began receiving text messages from alleged drug users wanting to purchase marijuana, according to Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett and Summerville Police Chief Stan Mosley. During a several-hour operation, undercover city/county agents made bogus drug deals over the cellphones and arrested those who arrived at various locations to purchase marijuana. “That is just one of the things we do to curtail the drug trade. You never know who you are selling to. It seems like that with all of our efforts, there are still people wanting to sell (drugs). So we will continue our fight against it. They are not going to stop,” Sheriff Everett said. The break in the case started at 4:18 p.m. last Wednesday after three people attempted to flee from police officers. Officers Kandy Harrelson and Philip Cox spotted a car pulling out of University Street with loud music playing. The car darted down Highland Avenue and then onto Third Street. “. . . As we turned our patrol unit onto Third Street, we saw a white male pointing at the abandoned car with the front and back passenger doors left open. The white male yelled, ‘They ran into the woods.’ We then ran into the woods across the railroad tracks and spotted one of the subjects down in the creek. He was ordered by Officer Cox to come up the bank and was placed under arrest by Officer Cox. In subject’s front pocket was what appeared to be a large amount of cash, a cellphone and also the keys to the vehicle were found at the top of the creek bank,” Officer Harrelson reported. A total of three people were caught fleeing. The last one tried running near Bryant and Sons Lumber Company. Allen Bryant, who is also a part time deputy, snagged the fleeing suspect behind Hammonds Auto Parts.
“We just made an arrest on those boys that ran from us. We got them and their phones started ringing . . . They were texting us wanting dope . . . So we started texting back. Everybody wanted nickel, dime or quarter (bags). We just told (those sending text messages) to meet us and we met them,” Chief Mosley said. “A lot of them would have the $5 or $10 bills in their hand or whatever it was . . . They would be just standing there looking at us.” The three caught trying to flee officers were 18-year-old Justin Treyll Silmon, of 299 Scoggins St., Summerville; 18-year-old Anthony L. Johnson, of 97 Wilma Drive, Summerville and 30-year-old Clifford Earl Flowers. Silmon, 18, of 299 Scoggins St., Summerville, was arrested for obstruction of an officer, violation of the open container law and driving without a valid drivers license. Flowers and Johnson were only charged with obstruction of an officer, according to jail reports. The following people were nabbed allegedly trying to buy drugs from undercover law enforcement operatives. They were: * Margaret Joanne Arnold, 33, of Commerce St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Spencer Cane Ayers, 19, of 3960 Spring Creek Road, Trion, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Courtney Marie Chamlee, 19, of 116 Hinton St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Patrick Lebron Evans, 17, of 266 Scoggins St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Rhonda Marlene Gaylor, 38, of 8732 Ga. 337, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Danny Wade Green, 20, of 269 Allen St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Kody Rian Jacome, 18, of 8732 Ga. 337 , Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Krista Ann Lowe, 17, of 198 Springhill Road, Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Richard Eugene Milstead, 33, of 1815 Farmersville Road, Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Christopher Robert Pierce, 21, of 95 Bittings Ave., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Kathy Diane Richardson, 34, of 79 Spring Hill Road, Trion, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Joseph David Robinson, 30, of 9947 Commerce St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Anthony Todd Russell, 24, of 79 Springhill Road, Trion, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Tina Joy Snyder, 35, of 198 Spring Hill Road, Trion, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Dante Laneal Stewart, 18, of 139 Third St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * Christopher Thomas Warren, 25, of 215 State St., Summerville, for criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. * John Howard Trammel, 18, of 509 Scoggins St., Summerville, for possession of a schedule III drug, criminal attempt to purchase drugs and use of a communication facility to commit crime. Three juveniles were also arrested. All those arrested for trying to purchase drugs from the police were given a $2,500 property bond. |
